The president of the Island Council said today that the construction of the new São Jorge slaughterhouse is “urgently needed” and hopes that the international tender, launched in August by the Azorean government, will not be “deserted.”

“One of the major concerns we already had, and which apparently has a beginning in sight, is our slaughterhouse, which is an extremely necessary structural project,” Lena Amaral told the Lusa news agency on the eve of the start of a statutory visit by the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) to the island of São Jorge.

The bidding process for the work was launched in August, and she hopes that it will not be “deserted” and that “at the beginning of next month,” there will be “someone bidding so that this work can move forward.” Lena Amaral admits this is “an urgent need for the island” of São Jorge.

On August 17, the announcement of the international public tender for the construction of the new São Jorge slaughterhouse was published in Diário da República and in the Official Journal of the European Union by the Food and Agricultural Markets Institute as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

According to the Regional Government, the tender has a base price of 10.9 million euros, and the deadline for submitting bids is October 9.

In addition to constructing the new slaughterhouse, the São Jorge Island Council highlights concerns regarding the settlement of young people and the labor shortage.

“We are an island with a small population. Depopulation is evident, not only because of emigration, but also because of students who end up studying abroad and then don’t return because of other opportunities that come their way. And we need people,” said its president.

Lena Amaral said companies “are interested in having people from abroad” but cannot recruit them “because of the bureaucratic immigration processes.”

“We need people. All professional areas are lacking, whether in construction, tourism or catering. We have a shortage of people,” she said.

The president of the Island Council advocates creating benefits so that young people at the start of their careers “feel interested” in staying on the island of São Jorge.

In the area of health, although the Azorean government inaugurated the rehabilitation and improvement of the Velas Health Center on Wednesday, there are other unresolved situations.

“We also need specialists on the island, to avoid patients traveling to other islands. Sometimes it’s just for a consultation,” said Lena Amaral.

Another of the São Jorge Island Council’s concerns is whether the gymnasium at Calheta Primary School, a project “built from scratch and which has never worked,” will come into operation.

Its president is also concerned about the delay in improving the road linking to the lighthouse, which is “fundamental” for agriculture and tourism.

On Tuesday, the Government of the Azores begins a three-day statutory visit to São Jorge, which includes a meeting with the Island Council.

The Political-Administrative Statute of the Autonomous Region of the Azores stipulates that the Regional Government must visit each of the nine islands at least once a year and convene the Council of Government on the island visited.

in Açoriano Oriental, Paulo Simões-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.